Chapter 52
Pazuzu phase.3 is the 52nd chapter of the manga and the third chapter of the Pazuzu Arc. With Excalibur gone Koko Hekmatyar reorganises the convoy and they continue on. During their ride Jonah learns more about Wiley's background from Lehm. Title page Koko Hekmatyar's convoy. Summary After Lutz comments that they are now down to one man per truck, Valmet retorts that things were like this when the squad was smaller. Koko apologises to everyone as a result of their useless security, excusing Nazal, who has remained and is driving the seventh truck. He observes that he has never met a PMC like this. Koko has roll call quickly called before commenting that Valmet looks good, which causes her to ask if she is more in love with her and point out that she used to be in a mechanised unit. She then asks if it is OK for them to keep Nazal, as she suspects that he stayed in order to keep tabs on them. Koko however replies by sticking a water bottle in Valmet's mouth, recalling that Excalibur took their firing without much protest, which raised her suspicions. She responds to Valmet's suggestion that she also drink water by feeding her some more, leading Tojo to comment when Valmet states that Koko's water tastes good. Koko then points out that the convoy can separate if attacked as they are not hauling a large weapon. When Mao observes that it would be dangerous to lose one's ride in the middle of the desert, Koko replies that if they are attacked they will respond with lethal force. When he hears the rest of the squad laugh at this, Nazal thinks to himself that they are crazy as well. In the eighth and last truck, Jonah tells Lehm that he suspects that Excalibur will return. Lehm agrees with this, noting that there are more and more people like them these days. When he starts talking about what it was like when he was in Iraq a decade ago, Jonah comments that this was the which he heard about from Wiley, who had told him that Lehm was his hero. Lehm replies that he missed this as he was listening in on Excalibur's channel and that while he is a good soldier, concedes that Wiley is also very good. This surprises Jonah and he learns that the FBI has blacklisted both Koko and Wiley, as they are considered to be the most dangerous members of the squad. Lehm also points out that the convoy is following Wiley because he has a sixth sense for bombs given his background and experience. He then expands on the squad's early days when it consisted of him, Chiquita, and Wiley, when they protected a much younger Koko. he was a target for would-be kidnappers and assassins but Wiley would turn the bombers' own bombs against them, thus the police were never able to pin the deaths of would be attackers on him. He then relates a story of when the hotel they were staying at in either or Turkey, which Wiley found was rigged with enough explosives to bring it down. He rerigged the bomb, causing it to detonate when the bomber returned, taking out one of the hotel's six floors. This saddens Jonah and Lehm comments that all the praise that Wiley got during the Gulf War went to his head, on top of which Koko was always cheered up by his work, which drove him to continue to hone his abilities. Lehm is about to continue when the convoy stops for a break. Nazal is given permission to call his wife while Jonah hesitatingly accepts a soda from Wiley then retreats, confusing him. Wiley asks Lehm what he told Jonah, but the latter refuses to get specific. Anime and manga differences *The episode omits Lutz's complaint and Valmet's retort, Koko's roll call, Tojo's comment about Koko's water, and how the Excalibur man reacted to the firign. *Chiquita is wearing a different shirt in the flashback. Another would-be assassin is shown getting taken out by a . The hotel that was rigged to blow was rerigged by Wiley at night. *The entire convoy is shown pulled over in a designated parking area. Valmet is shown next to Koko drinking water. Category:Volume 9 52